"I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another." John 13:34 34 NAB

Stripped down to its bare essence, following Christ means making the Love Commandment one's way of life. In concrete, it is loving God above all things with our whole being; and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves (cf. Mt 22:35-40). In the Gospel of John, it is given yet another compelling aspect: mutual love in the manner that Jesus has loved us. The life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus sum it up for all of us. All of Jesus is an expression of his love to each one of us in a very particular way, and to the one body that we comprise, the one human community. His whole existence is a communication of that love. Hence, we are to love one another to the fullest, to the best of our potentials, to the full extent of our giftedness. Every breath, every beat of our heart, every thought, every feeling, every decision, every action can be an expression of that divine-human love of Jesus. The utmost fulfillment of human identity and existence would be in the total love of all.

When life seems complicated, and we are burdened by the demands of the daily grind, we just have to remember: LOVE ONE ANOTHER! When our relationships are challenged, and we feel betrayed, we just have to remember the words of the one crucified: LOVE ONE ANOTHER! When human institutions seem heartless, and injustice prevails, we have to remember that there is still a way: LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

Prayer

Jesus, our friend and brother, you gave us a new commandment to love one another as you have loved us. Grant us the grace that our hearts and awareness may be opened to the reality of your love that in coming to know how much you love us, we may be moved to love you in your presence in one another. In loving one another, may we realize that building personal relationships, communities and societies of peace, justice and integrity of creation are all but part of our response to follow you! Amen.